Alchemy and Ancient Runes are very closely linked, and Ancient Runes is an extremely difficult subject to learn. Aside from History of Magic, most courses at a magic school focus on practical application, but Ancient Runes must begin with rote memorization.
Characters, glyphs, sounds, and meanings—ancient runes differ vastly from modern languages in every aspect. There's no way to master the basics of this subject except through memorization. And among the many students who elect to take Ancient Runes, only a rare few manage to memorize everything by the time they graduate.
Fortunately, Ravenclaw students don't have poor memories. Even if he couldn't quite match Hermione, Wade had specifically trained to improve his memory, so his memorization speed wasn't much slower than hers. After three months of being exposed to magic, he had, through sheer force of memory and a love for magical Alchemy, memorized several books. He then reinforced his memory by repeatedly writing them out from recall, and now he no longer made mistakes in this area.
After a moment of silence, Professor Murray began to ask questions based on the content of those books. Then he took out parchment and a Quill, randomly asking Wade to write down some Ancient Runes characters and short phrases.
Over an hour later, Professor Murray had to admit that the student before him, whom he still considered a child, had not lied; he truly had mastered everything he claimed.
Alchemy is one of Hogwarts' most difficult courses, and Professor Murray's requirements are also very strict. Fewer than ten students in each year are able to take Alchemy, and all of them are top performers in their year. But Professor Murray dared say that if he called in the seventh-year students he was currently teaching, even the best among them would make one or two small mistakes on these questions.
Alchemy requires a genius-level keen imagination and creativity, as well as an attitude more meticulous, rigorous, and scrupulous than the gears of a watch. And these two qualities often do not exist simultaneously in one person.
What's more, the person before him was only a... a...
Professor Murray suddenly realized he knew nothing about the student in front of him.
"My boy, what year are you in?" the old professor asked kindly.
"First year, sir," Wade said.
Professor Murray paused again: "I recall—Ancient Runes is an elective for third years?"
"Yes, sir," Wade said, trying his best to appear composed and not like a peacock displaying its tail.
Professor Murray didn't care if the student in front of him was acting mature enough. He just started recalling his own eleven-year-old self... and his skill level when he began studying Alchemy at sixteen... and the impressive Wizards he knew—like Dumbledore, like Grindelwald, like Voldemort—and their standards during their first year...
As he thought, Professor Murray's gaze on Wade became more and more like he was looking at an undiscovered treasure. His smile grew even more gentle as he softly asked, "What's your name? And what house are you in?"
"Wade Grey, Ravenclaw," Wade said, looking up. He had already sensed something from the change in the other's attitude.
Professor Murray asked again, "You really like Alchemy, don't you, Wade?"
His tone now was distinctly serious, unlike before.
"Yes, Professor," Wade replied as always. "It's a very fascinating field, with power enough to change the world. Perhaps I'll dedicate my life to studying it."
"Then, as a Wizard, what do you think of Muggle technological inventions?" Professor Murray asked again.
This question was easy enough; the furnishings in the office alone were enough to indicate what kind of answer the professor wanted to hear. But Wade was silent this time. He thought seriously for a long time before saying, "Muggle technology is developing rapidly. Production tools are constantly being innovated, and information exchange and communication are becoming more efficient, causing increasingly significant changes to the world. Wizards need to actively learn, absorb, and integrate, otherwise, they will eventually be left behind by the times."
This was his heartfelt opinion.
Although he yearned for the wonders of magic, let's compare the true disparity between the two sides:
Wizard communication - Owl; Muggle communication - instant mobile phones, internet.
Wizard population - only about three thousand in Britain, and only a few hundred thousand to a million worldwide; Muggle population - over fifty-seven million in Britain alone, and 5.4 billion worldwide, and this number will grow to 7 billion in twenty years and 8 billion in thirty years.
Wizard killing - the Killing Curse, usable by only a few dark Wizards; Muggle killing - Maxim machine guns, incendiary bombs, nuclear bombs, self-propelled artillery, howitzers, intercontinental missiles; a two-year-old can fire a gun and kill.
The disparity between the two sides is so vast. In the past, during the ignorant Muggle era, Wizards could only survive by doing their best to hide themselves. In a future where technology becomes increasingly powerful, Wizards must learn from, draw closer to, and integrate into the Muggle world, so they won't be easily swallowed by the times.
In fact, Wade had many more dangerous thoughts, but they weren't appropriate to voice. He was afraid that if he got carried away and spoke too much, Professor Murray's good impression of him would vanish, and he'd be lumped into categories like "three generations of Dark Lords"—how unfair would that be?
Professor Murray was already very satisfied with such a broad answer. He smiled and said, "I teach sixth and seventh-year students every Monday and Thursday. If you have any questions, you can come to my office during those times. As long as you maintain your passion for Alchemy, I'd be happy to set aside two hours a week to guide your studies."
Professor Murray spoke very reservedly, but the next moment he found a copy of From Zero to Hero: Learning Magical Item Creation from his collection and lent it to Wade, setting a tutoring time for Thursday before letting Wade leave.
As he left with the book, Wade looked through the window at the Black Lake next to the Forbidden Forest and suddenly remembered the figure he had seen when he woke up that morning.
It must have been Professor Murray, right? The same silver-white hair...
Suddenly, Wade's steps faltered. His scalp prickled, and goosebumps instantly appeared.
When did he see that person? And then he met Professor Murray... Was there a ten-minute gap in between? Damn it! The fever was too bad, he couldn't even remember the time clearly.
In any case, the time shouldn't have been too long.
If that person was Professor Murray, how could he have arrived at Wade's location in just about ten minutes? Hogwarts prohibits Apparition, and Professor Murray was old and stiff; he certainly wouldn't be fast climbing stairs, nor did he seem like a young hothead who would rush around on a broom.
If that person wasn't Professor Murray... and not Dumbledore... then who could it be? Another professor Wade didn't know, or...
He thought perhaps he was overthinking things; Harry's first year at school should be a very peaceful one... at least for ordinary students... but a chill still came over him in waves.
"What's wrong, Wade?" Professor Murray asked from behind him.
The voice, which had previously sounded kind and gentle, now inexplicably carried a hint of eeriness.
"Nothing," Wade said, surprised at how calm his voice was, with a faint hint of gratitude. "I was just thinking how lucky it was that you passed by and found me this morning, Professor... Were you just coming back from outside then?"
"Of course not." Professor Murray didn't seem suspicious; he explained with a casual smile, "I don't usually live at the school; I only come through the fireplace when I need to teach—oh, my office fireplace can temporarily connect to the Floo Network, it's Ministry of Magic-approved. This morning, I had just arrived at my office when I heard Griffiths shouting in the corridor. When I went out, I ran into you."
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